Caspian Sea, Russian Kaspiyskoye More, Persian Darya-ye Khezer,
world’s largest inland body of water, lying to the east of the Caucasus Mountains and to the west of the vast steppe of Central Asia. Its name derives from the ancient Kaspi peoples, who once lived in Transcaucasia to the west; among its other historical names, Khazarsk and Khvalynsk derive from former peoples of the region, while Girkansk stems from Girkanos, “Country of the Wolves.” The elongated sea sprawls for nearly 750 miles (1,200 km) from north to south, although its average width is only 200 miles (320 km). It covers ... (100 of 3,174 words)